Can't think of good game UI off hand, Tomb Raider maybe.
There is a book available for designing game UI's "Game Interface Design" maybe.
Head down to your local mega-bookstore and see if they have it, it might
just be the ticket to turn your brain on.

I've always liked menus where you felt like you were already in the game.

I think the coolest menu I've seen in a long time was in Katamari (incidentally, a wonderful game for Gamecube. Don't know if it's available in North America - I played it in Japanese on my girlfriend's Gamecube after she brought it back from one of her numerous Japan trips).